Unmasked
by WiseMan24
Summary: Minato didn't know that when he shattered Tobi's mask in his fight, he set in motion a series of events that would shake the very foundations of the Shinobi world. AU, diverging from canon after Minato's and Tobi's fight on the day the Kyuubi was released. Eventual NaruHina, Strong/Smart Naruto.
1. Shattered

**Unmasked**

* * *

. . .

"Memories are like bullets, some whiz by and only spook you. Others tear you open and leave you in pieces. Someday the right one will catch you between the eyes and you'll never see it coming. It'll just be a flash of a face or a smell or a a touch. Then bang, you're gone."

-Richard Kadrey

. . .

* * *

Chapter One

**Shattered**

* * *

Sunlight poured into the hospital. It was a cool, fresh light, fitting for beginnings. Inside the operating room, the light fell across Minato's face and touched a beginning there, tugging on his lips, making the smile more radiant. The light flowed across the room, scattered a thousand tiny rainbow beginnings on the shiny medicine bottles, and finally settled on the newborn sleeping on the bed right next to his mother, satisfied in its search for beginnings.

"So, Minato, have you decided on a name for the boy yet?" asked a curious Jiraiya, breaking the happy silence.

"Why yes, indeed we have. I think you'll like it, Jiraiya-sensei." Minato replied.

"Well then, out with it, brat. What did you decide to name him?"

"Naruto." Minato said simply, allowing his smile to grow wider. It was the name of the protagonist of his teacher's first novel.

"Jiraiya-sensei…are you crying? Oh my goodness, you really are!"

"S-shut up! Something got in my eye is all!" Jiraiya sobbed.

Minato laughed at Jiraiya's rare show of emotion. He looked over to Kushina, who was smiling in her sleep. Today was, without a doubt- the happiest day of his life.

_Naruto,_ he mouthed, tracing a path with his finger along Naruto's cheek. _My son._

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Later, in the chill grayness of the fading day, with remorseless rain falling from the heavens, Minato wondered where it had all gone wrong. It seemed only a moment ago that everyone had been happy, laughing, enjoying themselves and now… and now the love of his life was dying, dying in his hands. The village was in grave danger as well, the Kyuubi coming ever closer to it even with all of Konoha ninja force delaying it. _Where the hell had it all gone wrong?_

The environment around him was getting colder as each second passed- an effect of the Kyuubi, he surmised, it's demon chakra is sucking the life out of everything.

"Please, Kushina….please. Live. I- I can't stay here any longer, you have to understand. I'll…I'll drop you to the hospital, then I have to go and help them…it's my duty."

She didn't say anything.

She didn't need to.

He clutched the body to himself even harder, then searched for the familiar chakra signature of his special kunai. _There it is. _Then he vanished, with his wife's body in his hands.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Just as he was about to leave the hospital after dropping off the now unconscious Kushina, she suddenly came to life.

"My son….Naruto…where?" she croaked, trying to get up and look around for him.

"Don't worry. I have him. He's fine. You should rest…the doctors should be coming in to see you soon."

"Please…keep him safe. P-promise me, Minato."

It should have been easy- _Of course I will, Kushina. What kind of a father do you think I am?_ That was all he needed to say, and she would be in peace.

It was almost as if someone had dropped a stone in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to say it- no, not when she was dying. He didn't want her to know. But he couldn't lie. He couldn't. _Not to her. _

_She'll resent me forever._

"I'm sorry, Kushina. I…I can't do that. Please. Try to understand. The beast, it cannot be killed, Kushina. It…it has to be sealed," said Minato even as he saw the horror begin to set in her eyes, the realization of what he was thinking dawning on her.

"I have to! There is no other way, Kushina. And…and the vessel, it has to be a new born... " he continued, before pausing for a moment. "It has to be Naruto."

"H-has to be Naruto? You are the Hokage, M-Minato…if you were to only ask, someone will gladly give their child to you. Please, Minato. Don't…don't do this to our son. Not to our son!" Already tears were beginning to fall, as Kushina knew that Minato never changed his decisions when he made them.

"_How?_ How can I ask someone to sacrifice their child for the village, when I don't have the will to do it myself? No, Kushina. It…it has to be Naruto. He's _my_ son, he'll be strong…he can take it. He will be a hero, you understand? And…and he'll have you to help him with it," stuttered Minato, before Kushina cut him off. "No! Not you-" she began, but Minato ignored her and continued, "With the burden of bearing the beast. That's why you have to live, Kushina._ Please_. Live."

Kushina let out a sob, realizing the full extent of her Husband's decision. _He's planning to sacrifice himself!_

Minato nodded sadly._ Why is she making this so hard? _"I'm sorry that I have to do this, I really am. That is why you have to live, Kushina. You have to take care of Naruto after I'm dea-…after I'm gone." Minato said, donning a carefully blank expression. It had been hard, but he had been trained to do this. He was the Hokage, after all. "I love you, Kushina. I'm sorry that I had to do this," _You have to understand. _"Farewell." _I love you._

And again, Minato vanished, leaving behind only a flash of yellow and tears on the ground.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

He never would see his child grow up, never would teach him to walk, never would see him graduate, never would be there for him…And…and if Kushina died today, then…

_No_. She would live.

The Kyuubi's outline could be seen from his vantage point above the walls of the village. Now was not the time for petty emotions, the Hokage decided.

He had tried searching for other methods. He really had. But no one had ever sealed the nine-tailed beast ever before, except for the first Hokage, but that was a different time altogether. The one technique he knew that could bring the king of demons low was a sacrifice jutsu- it summoned the god of death to make a contract with the sealmaker, the price of which would be the sealmaster's life. He planned to use the same jutsu to seal the nine-tailed beast into his son- only a newborn's chakra pathways could sustain the mutation that would follow after the sealing of the beast.

_I'm sorry._

"Goodbye, Naruto."

"Ah, saying your goodbyes already, Hokage-san?" a disembodied voice spoke.

An involuntary chill ran down Minato's back as he turned around to see who was behind him. No one. His eyes instantly narrowed, all semblance of emotion gone from his face, now displaying a cold ruthlessness- the face of a Kage.

"Reveal yourself. Who are you?" As soon as the words flew out of his clenched teeth someone materialized right in front of him- he took in the man's appearance: he was wearing a long black coat, and a white mask with ripples in the design, and a hole for one eye- G_od, was that a Sharingan?_

"Me? I'm Tobi. Nice to meet you, Hokage-san."

"I know as well as you that the name you just gave me is fake. Who are you really? What do you want?"

"_Oh?_ I thought the Yondaime-Hokage of Konoha was supposed to be a genius at deduction? Surely you can tell my identity with a look? Do that trick of yours now. _Deduce _who I am_._" Tobi's voice seemed falsely cheerful.

Minato sighed- he really didn't have the time for this.

"At a first glance I'd say that you're an Uchiha. But you're not. If you were, you'd be a missing-nin, except for the fact that there has been no Uchiha missing-nin in the last seven years," The masked man twitched.

"Therefore you're not an Uchiha. And you look young…I'd say you are about seventeen, eighteen. That leaves us with only one alternative. Seeing as you have chosen to reveal only one Sharingan eye and the fact that your wear a mask to cover your face, I'd say you found an Uchiha in battle, killed him and took his eye for yourself," Tobi took a step closer to Minato. The look in the masked man's eye told him he was wrong. The man was…_angry?_

"I see that I was wrong about that. Ah well. But, you seem to know me- I can see the recognition in your eyes," The masked man twitched again. "and you're angry. I could go on, but I don't really have the time to squabble with a kid right now. I suggest you go back to wherever you came from before you get hurt."

The masked man started laughing. It was a maniacal, insane laughter- the laugh of someone who has lost everything.

"Very well done, Hokage-san. You're still the same as ever. I am the tiniest bit disappointed, however. I thought, of all people, _you _would recognize me.I guess I've changed a lot more than I thought I had," said Tobi, sighing. "Nevertheless, I'm not here to reminisce about the past with you. Give me the baby." Tobi's Sharingan eye spun wildly, and he dematerialized and reappeared right in front of Minato.

Minato, however was even faster than Tobi.

In fact, depending on who you asked, he was the fastest ninja to ever live.

By the time Tobi had begun to make his move, Minato had already used his signature Hiraishin jutsu to deliver Naruto to a safe place.

_The technique Tobi was using was definitely a space-time jutsu._ He knew it would be hard to fight against this strange jutsu, but he'd observed that Tobi needed about two seconds before he perform the technique again. And that opening was all he needed.

The two shinobi clashed, and this time Minato managed to use the opening- the tri-pronged kunai made its way into his hands as quick as a bolt of lightning as he slashed Tobi's arm in the two-second window before he could use the technique again.

When they seperated, Tobi was bleeding.

For a moment, the fight stopped, as Tobi inspected the nick on his arm. "It seems that I underestimated you, Hokage-san. You've only grown better with the passing of years."

Minato's lips turned upwards as he began running. Again the two clashed, and again, and again. It wasn't until ten minutes had passed –lasting ten minutes against the fastest ninja in the world was a feat in and of itself- that Minato was able to find an opening to use again.

_This is it_. Sensing the moment come near, he charged up a rasengan in his free hand even as he held a kunai in the other. A second later, the rasengan hit its target- Tobi.

The effect was instantaneous- the mask shattered, revealing the face of the man underneath.

_Oh _God_, is that who I think it is? _

Beneath the mask was a man- no, a boy, his face scarred on one side, black hair…_ it was him._

"I know what you're thinking- I'll save you time: Yes, it's me…_sensei_." A terrible mockery of a smile adorned his face.

_Obito?_

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I actually published this without writing the second chapter first, so there may be a slight delay for the next update. I shall try my best to update within this week or the next, however. Remember, constructive criticism or feedback in reviews would go a long way in inspiring me to write more and improve my writing based on the feedback given. If you've read this and liked it, please leave a review, even something like 'nice' would be great because that way I know people like it. I am not a native English speaker so if something isn't coherent in my writing feel free to inform me via PMs/reviews. I would also love to answer any questions you might have!

*Hiraishin Jutsu- The Flying Thunder God technique, developed and used solely by Minato, allows for instantaneous travel between places where a special seal is in place.


	2. The Beast

**Unmasked**

* * *

. . .

"_In the end it's never what you worry about that gets you."_

-Chuck Palanihuk, _Guts_

. . .

* * *

**Previously:**

_Oh God, is that who I think it is? _

Beneath the mask was a man- no, a boy, his face scarred on one side, black hair…_ it was him._

"I know what you're thinking- I'll save you time: Yes, it's me…_sensei_." A terrible mockery of a smile adorned his face.

_Obito?_

* * *

Chapter Two

**The Beast**

* * *

"Obito? Is that really you? How in God's name…" Minato couldn't help but keep the sheer surprise out of his voice. He had noticed it had stopped raining. The sky above was dark, with a faint red hue.

_The Kyuubi's chakra is beginning to affect the sky. I need to hurry…but…_

Tobi, or Obito- whoever the man was, gave a short, bitter laugh and shook his head in exasperation. "Yes, sensei. It is me. I am the one you called Obito, your former student. This is what I have become. _This _is what you…what the village made me become."

The insane, maniacal laughter was back once again, the same as before- the laugh of someone who has lost everything. Minato ignored it. He had to.

"So you lived, Obito. You chose a strange way to reveal it, though, picking a fight with me, threatening my _son._ I suppose…I suppose you always were a prankster. But _how-" _Minato spoke, his voice falsely cheerful, before he was interrupted in between when the ground beneath his feet rumbled. The ground was shaking-_ an earthquake?_ In an instant the realization of what was happening dawned upon him.

_Oh God, no. The Kyuubi._ Overhead, red light kindled in the sky, a blaze of fire behind the dark barriers of night. Nine massive tails swished, raining debris on the ground.

_Shit._

Steeling himself, he turned away from Tobi…_Obito_ to face the Kyuubi.

_It's time._

"Obito, I think you should leave now. Go to the hospital, you're bleeding. And no more pranks, understand?"

Deep down, he already knew that what Obito did wasn't a prank. He wasn't a fool. He had been in many fights, he knew by experience that Obito had been fighting to kill him. But Minato chose to deny the fact to himself. He'd chosen to believe otherwise, despite his better judgement.

He turned around to get a better look at Obito…and Obito was gone. _When?_

"Looking for me, _sensei_?" something about cold, dead way he spoke the word 'sensei' unsettled Minato.

Obito was standing _on top_ of the Kyuubi…almost as if he was riding it. The beast was so close to Minato that he could make its eyes out in the darkness.

They were red, impossibly red, and inside, three black tomoes spun around wildly. Minato's eyes widened- it's the Sharingan. Obito's Sharingan. _Oh God. Oh God, no. This can't be happening. This…can't be happening…_

"Obito…what have you done?" Minato spoke in a strained voice, barely resisting the urge to scream.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

_Where in the seven hells is he? What is taking so long? _

_The Kyuubi is almost at the gates now_…the Sandaime thought to himself. He held Minato's son in his arms, who was happily sleeping. Naruto gurgled cutely in his sleep, making the Sandaime smile, albeit reluctantly.

"What did he say to you when he gave you the child? Did he say how long it would take for him to come back?" asked a sweating Jiraiya. He had shunshin'd to the Hokage tower after the Kyuubi had broken out of the sealing enclosure he and his sealing team had managed to create. The seal wasn't powerful to begin with, it was only intended to borrow time for retreat, but he had held the seal alone for a few minutes, long after everyone had retreated, to wait for Minato to come.

He never came.

"I've told you everything I know, Jiraiya. He appeared here using that technique of his, handed the child to me without a word, then disappeared again. I fear he may be in danger…perhaps something has happened to him…" Sandaime was frustrated, but he was careful not to show it on his face. That would not do well for morale. He needed to be as hard as a stone now.

"What do we do, then, if he doesn't come? If he's…dead?" Jiraiya's voice was impossibly low, almost a whisper, as if he was afraid to even entertain the thought_. Minato...dead? _

"I fear something terrible has happened. But I don't think he is dead. I think…we would all know it, within ourselves, if that were the case. However, he is definitely in some sort of trouble. If he doesn't come by," Sandaime paused to look at the big clock that adorned his wall. "the time it's eight, I'll…I'll do the jutsu. I know how, it will just take me some time to prepare the necessities."

_I give you fifteen minutes, Minato…if you're not here by then, I'll do the necessary. That was what I had intended in the first place, but your pride wouldn't allow for anyone else but you to do it._

"The jutsu? Which one? What do you mean?" asked Jiraiya, the strength in his voice was better than before. Sandaime's assurance had given him hope.

"Why, the Shiki Fujin of course." The Sandaime smiled softly making, for the first time, the sadness he felt visible on his face.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

As Minato listened to Obito explain smugly about whatever blasted plan he was putting into motion, he experienced something he had never experienced in his entire life. Despair- full, and total despair. This...this was what had become of his student, a broken boy inhabiting a man's body, a boy who had given up on his village, even in the world itself.

_It's my fault. I failed him as a teacher._

"And that, sensei, is what I plan to do. Are you not enthralled by the beauty of it? It's so simple, I wonder why I never thought of it! An end to this cycle of hatred, a world with eternal peace- was that not your dream, sensei? I will accomplish your dream for you. I will...I will..." Obito broke down in the middle of his speech. He knew the plan was inherently flawed. But the Moon's eye plan was the second best thing to peace, and sacrifices had to be made.

Gathering himself, Obito spoke again. "I see you're speechless, sensei. Most people are." Obito hopped down from the Kyuubi's back, and began walking closer to Minato who had crumpled on the ground.

Minato looked up to see Obito coming closer to him, muttering something intelligible. The only thing Minato could hear was a whistling sound, the one you hear when an explosion tag goes off near you.

"It is time, sensei, for you to die." Obito's voice was lifeless, dead, like the shell he wore.

In an instant a kunai was at Minato's neck, and yet still Minato did nothing.

_I deserve it, don't I? I deserve to die._

The Kyuubi roared, and Obito grimaced.

_Wait_, Minato thought. _Is he having trouble controlling it?_

Seeing his student in pain woke something up in Minato. Something that had long been sleeping. A terrible determination. His will grew stronger by the need to protect Obito, to protect Naruto...to protect the village.

I...deserve_ to die, yes. But I need to save the village first. I need...to save them all._

"So this is what it has come to, Obito. I never...I never imagined that it would be you,_ God_, that_ you,_ of all people would do this," Minato started getting up. Obito was clutching at his head, as if he was in pain. "I'm sorry, Obito. I failed as a teacher to you." Minato smiled bitterly. "But now is not the time for regrets. I need to seal the Kyuubi. I need to save...everyone. Perhaps, when we meet on the other side, I will make it up to you."

"Oh, and please, meet Kakashi before you go. He misses you, you know?" Minato said before dissappearing with a flash of yellow.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"He won't come then. It's eight already, sensei. I think...I think we should get ready. The Kyuubi has already caused enough destruction as it-"

A yellow flash.

Jiraiya's face lit up like a christmas tree, but only for a moment. Seeing Minato's determined expression reminded him of the threat that was at the gates. _The Kyuubi._

"Naruto...where is he? I...give him to me, please. Are the- are the preparations ready? For the sealing array?"

"Minato, relax. Everything is fine. The array is complete, sensei has it. He was going to do it, you know," Jiraiya spoke slowly, "the jutsu, I mean. If you didn't come back."

"God, Minato, what the hell took you so long? Don't tell me. We need to seal the Kyuubi immediately. Here," the Sandaime spoke, his voice weary, "have him."

Accepting the bundle of clothes that was Naruto gently in his hands, Minato gave the Sandaime a look of gratitude and vanished again, with a flash.

_Thank you, and farewell._

_~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~_

When Obito finally came to, the first thing he noticed was the blinding light. As bright as the sun, the light was, and he was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. At the center of the light stood Minato, faintly smiling. The Kyuubi towered above the light source, teeth bared, and yet it didn't dare go closer. It was as if it was restrained by invisible bonds.

Realization of what was happening dawned on him far too late, and he could only open his mouth in a silent scream as the Kyuubi vanished, as Minato's dead, lifeless body began to fall. In that moment he had an epiphany. I understand now, sensei. _I understand._

He closed his eyes, and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Izanagi!"

Nothing happened. Obito remembered Madara's words of warning again, 'Remember, boy, that this technique, while powerful, powerful enough to reverse time itself, cannot bring back the dead.'_  
_

_I killed him. God, I killed my sensei._

And in that moment of realization, Obito simply stood_. _Numb, weary, and dismayed, he had well and truly lost everything now.

**_It's alright, Obito. Everything is fine. It's good that you finally understand._**

_Sensei...is that you?_

_ I...I only wish I had understood sooner._

**_I'm sorry, Obito. My time is up now. Farewell. _**

**_Take care of Naruto for me, please._**

And so died Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage of Konoha, smiling, even up to the moment leading to his death.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Hours later, Obito stood in Kakashi's door-frame._ Sensei wanted me to visit him._

And so he had, but that did not mean he had to like it. Kakashi was sleeping in his bed. Obito walked up to him and swatted his head. _That should do it. Sleeping, at a time like this. _

Kakashi woke up in a flash, with a kunai aimed mere centimeters away from Obito's heart. _Oh, yes. Kill me like you killed Rin, you bastard._

"It's me, you idiot. This is how you say hello to me, after what, like five years? God, I've changed, but you're still the same. You've always wanted to kill me, haven't you? Oh, and a pervert too." said Obito, glancing at the porn Kakashi had right next to his bed.

"..."

"And before you say it, this is not a fucking dream. I am alive. Big deal. I only came by to say hello." _You killed Rin, you bastard._

"O-Obito? _What the fu_-"

"So yeah. I've done what he wanted," _God, I can still see her lifeless body when I close my eyes_, "so I'll get going now. We won't meet again." _You killed Rin._

And just like that, he was gone, as silently as he came.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Later the next day, a council meeting was in session. The purpose was supposedly to decide the candidates for the next Hokage, but everyone knew it had to do with Naruto. The vessel. The jailer of the tailed beast.

The farce had been going on for about an hour, and the Sandaime was growing tired of it all. He cleared his throat to get attention.

"Listen to me carefully, for I will not repeat this again. Naruto is Minato's sole living legacy. Danzo," the Sandaime gave Danzo a piercing look. Danzo stared back patiently, unfazed. "You have crossed the line too far this time. I will never condone using any person, whether it be a Jinchuriki or anybody else, to be used in the manner that you suggest, and as for you lot," the Sandaime turned to look at the rest of the council, "you seem to forget that _I_ am the Hokage. You seem to have forgotten what the council stands for. You are not allowed to order me. You are, and always will be, advisors."

Sandaime stood up regally, and in a manner befitting that of a Kage, spoke loud and clear. "I believe that is all. The meeting is over."

There were murmurs and mutterings, of course, but everyone knew that the Sandaime was right. People shuffled out of the room in droves, until only the Hokage and Danzo were left.

"You are making a grave mistake, Sarutobi."

"...I believe I dismissed you, Danzo."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Danzo was dead the next day, by a kunai to the heart. The murderer had left a note, the contents of which were simply: _Tobi sends his regards_.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Yes, Tobi is batman. I wrote this one pretty quick, actually, it seems that getting reviews/views/favs/alerts increases my writing power level over 9000. So, keep on doing it! There'll be Naruto in the next chapter, I promise! The update should be soon-ish, but it all depends on my muse really. I don't have a buffer ready. So no promises, but next week. Or tomorrow. I don't know.


	3. Funeral

**Unmasked**

* * *

. . .

"_Perhaps it's impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be."_

-Orson Scott Card, _Ender's Game_

. . .

* * *

**Previously:**

Danzo was dead the next day, by a kunai to the heart. The murderer had left a note, the contents of which were simply: _Tobi sends his regards_.

* * *

Chapter Three

**Funeral**

* * *

It was one of those perfect autumn days, the ones so common in stories and yet so rare in reality. The weather was warm and dry, but not too warm either- just the _perfect_ kind of warm. The sun shone pleasantly through the branches of the cedar trees, casting a dappled shade on the ground underneath. A pleasing breeze fluttered through the children's playground.

And yet, the playground was deserted. Shops were closed. A deafening silence lay heavy on the dirt road that ran through the centre of the village.

Today was the funeral of the Yondaime Hokage.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

In contrast to the central road, the funeral ground was anything but silent. People cried openly, and even the ninja's couldn't keep themselves from being swayed by the emotions running high all around. The atmosphere around the area was warped by sadness, it seemed. An island of sadness in a vast ocean of happiness.

The whole village had come to pay their respects to the man who had single-handedly saved them all from the greatest threat Konoha- or, for that matter, any village- had come across. He had defeated the Nine-tailed beast, it's power comparable to a God, by himself.

A minute later, there was complete and total silence. The Sandaime had arrived, along with the envoys that the other villages had sent to pay their respects to the late Hokage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen truly felt his age now, in the middle of the massive crowd that had gathered for Minato's funeral._ God, it's like the whole village is here. _He was wearing the traditional mourning robes specially made for the Hokage's. Beside him, even the envoy from Iwa was visibly discomforted, perhaps by the oppressive sadness of the situation. But as the Sandaime walked up to the podium, Minato wasn't even on his mind. He was saddened by the grievous loss, sure, perhaps even more than most- Minato had almost been a son to him. But as the reinstated-Hokage for the village he had a duty to protect the village. He was thinking more about how to keep the envoys from seeing the damage the Kyuubi's attack had done to the morale of the village and to the strength of his shinobi.

There hadn't been a Shinobi war for quite a few years, but now, if Konoha looked weak, the other villages would not waste a chance to bring them low.

Jiraiya and the others had been worried for his health. He told them he was as fine as ever. He never let them know how tired he felt, inside. His body was worn, like a millstone that had worked for generations. He was still tough enough to do his job, and he would, but God, he felt tired sometimes. Carrying the hopes of millions was heavier than lifting any mountain.

He began to speak wearily, addressing the people gathered in the ground, "People of Konoha, we have suffered a terrible loss…"

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Obito watched the farce of a ceremony from afar, careful not to reveal himself to the ANBU he knew were near.

"Hmph. Look at all these people crying, after sensei saved them. Where were you when he fought to save you all alone, huh? Running for your lives, that's what you all were doing. Fucking cowards and weaklings."

"You're wrong, you know." A disembodied voice that seemed oddly familiar spoke, coming from behind him.

_What the fu-_

Obito panicked and turned around, trying to discern the source of the voice. _Oh God. It couldn't be. _

_Madara?_

"Now now, no need to panic, Obito. It's just me, see? Just a bit of payback for last night," Kakashi came out of a nearby bush, a hand behind his head, with that annoying eye-smile of his, "which was horrible, you know? I was wondering if I hallucinated it all for _hours_."

Relieved, Obito let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. _It's just the bastard._

"But you're wrong about them being cowards and weaklings. Every single ninja helped to keep the Kyuubi at bay while sensei was preparing to defeat it. The civilians wanted to help too, but what can they do, really? The Kyuubi…when I and the others fought to gain us time that day, I thought that was _it,_" Kakashi closed his eyes and paused, as if trying to forget something, "That the village was doomed. You have to understand, it shrugged off even the most powerful attacks like it was nothing, and ninja died like flies if they got close to it. I…," Kakashi closed his eyes again, "I saw hundreds of people die right in front of me, and I felt so _powerless_ at that moment…people were bleeding, dying, screaming, and I just…froze. But then sensei came, he smiled and assured us all that everything will be alright, and that was when I knew it. I knew it by his smile, it didn't reach all the way up to his eyes. I knew he was going to sacrifice himself, somehow. I know I'm just rambling now…I just needed someone to talk to, I guess, and now that you're bac-"

Obito decided to cut Kakashi off before he rambled more, and decided to speak- "I'm not back, you idiot. When I told you yesterday that we wouldn't meet again, I was being serious, dumbass. I think I should go now." _I can't even bear to talk to you anymore, you murderer._

"Wait," Kakashi began haltingly, pressing his hand onto Obito's shoulder, "Why? Why are you doing this, Obito? Why are you suddenly so…distant, cold?"

"You talk as if you don't know it yourself. I saw everything, Kakashi. _Everything_. You killed her, you bastard," Obito paused, trying not to let his emotions get the better of him. Forcibly prying Kakashi's hand off of his shoulders, he began again, "_You killed Rin_."

After hearing Obito utter the name of their teammate, Kakashi simply stood, a stillness in his body and a terrible silence clenched between his teeth. His right hand made a slow fist.

Obito leaned forward, bringing his face close to Kakashi. _Of course he has nothing to say. Of course_. _That fucking murderer._

Due to the amount of killing intent emanating from Obito, Kakashi panicked and tried to scrabble sideways, but Obito took hold of his shoulder and held him fast. "Hear my words, bastard," he hissed, "I am not the person you think I am. Not anymore," _Not since you killed her._ "Listen to me carefully, for I will not repeat this again: I will kill you if I see you again," Obito tightened his hold on Kakashi, and as he began to speak once again, Obito's eyes glistened red- he'd activated the Sharingan. "Now go. And never show your face to me ever again."

"Obito I-" Kakashi began, but Obito cut him off- "Why, Kakashi. Why did you do it? Just…_why?_" _Why did you kill her?_

"There was a reason. But…but I can't tell you. It's classified. I understand how you feel, Obito, _God_, I do. Every night when I close my eyes, I see her face, and yours too. And faces of everyone that I couldn't save. The image of her dead body has been burned into my eyes, and it keeps coming back to me in dreams I'd rather not have. But I understand how you feel. Think of it what you will, then. Think of me as the villain to your hero, if it makes you happy. I-"

And then both Obito and Kakashi turned their necks toward the funeral ground as an explosion shook the ground.

Oh, _shit_- both of them thought in unison.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

After he was finished with his speech, Sandaime found himself puzzling over the Iwa envoy. The man had been fidgeting all through the duration of his speech, and now it looked as if he was…excited?

_This is very strange behaviour. _As he watched, the man _giggled_.

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed instantly.

_Very, very strange indeed. I'll have the ANBU keep an eye on him._

For now the Sandaime just walked over to him and asked, "Is something the matter, Kirito-san? You don't seem particularly comfortable…do you want some water, perhaps?" _Come on. What are you thinking?_

"Ah, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, Hokage-sama. No water please, thank you. I'm quite fine, actually. In fact, I was just wondering," the blonde man looked up into the Sandaime's eyes and gave the most unsettling smile ever, "if you would like to see my art?"

"…I…would be quite happy to, but perhaps…after the funeral?" _Art? At a funeral? _

"Oh," the man looked down as if he was disappointed, "I shouldn't have asked you anyway. Kirito isn't my real name, if you were wondering."

The Sandaime's eyes widened, and as he began to gesture to the ANBU the Iwa envoy added, getting up from his seat, "My name is Deidara. Remember it, old man."

The world exploded around the Sandaime, and the last thing he saw were limbs flying up in the air, the sound of screams ringing loud in his ears, but above all he remembered the blonde man, _Deidara_, flying above on a bird, cackling away-_ Art is an explosion._

And so ended the Yondaime's funeral.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the small chapter, but I have some exams coming up soon so I'm not sure if I'll be able to update on time. So here it is, quicker and shorter than usual. Notice the psycho-obsessed with Rin-Tobi here, I need to know if I pulled that off correctly.


	4. Bingo & Snake

**Unmasked**

* * *

. . .

"_Pain is a part of life. Sometimes it's a big part, sometimes it isn't. But either way, it's a part of the big puzzle, the deep music, the great game. Pain passes away with time, and leaves you changed. It leaves you wiser, sometimes. Sometimes it leaves you stronger. Either way, pain leaves its mark, and everything important that will ever happen to you in life is going to involve it in one degree or another."_

-Jim Butcher, _the Dresden Files_

. . .

* * *

**Previously:**

The world exploded around the Sandaime, and the last thing he saw were limbs flying up in the air, the sound of screams, but above all he remembered the blonde man, _Deidara_, flying above on a bird, cackling away-_ Art is an explosion._

And so ended the Yondaime's funeral.

* * *

Chapter Four

**Part I**

**Bingo**

* * *

It was hard to say what troubled Jiraiya so much. The Sandaime didn't seem noticeably changed in any way. Except, perhaps, that he moved a little slower, and whatever small spark yesterday's activity had lit behind his eyes was dimmer now.

In fact, it could hardly be seen.

Jiraiya began to wonder that it may not have been there at all.

"Are you sure you are fine, sensei? _Absolutely_ sure?" Jiraiya couldn't keep the worry he felt away from his voice.

"I've told this to you and the _damned_ nurses hundreds of times already, I'm fine. Yes, _absolutely_ fine. They discharged me from the hospital didn't they? Do you think they would have done so, had I not been in perfect condition?" Sarutobi Hiruzen blurted out in an uncharacteristic display of emotion.

"...I..sorry."

"Hmph. So, what is the final number? How many died?"

"We're still not sure about those in the center of the blast radius…nothing much remained of their bodies. Of those we could identify, I'd say the total death count would be somewhere between seventy-five to one-fifty."

"Wounded?"

"Well over thousands. Our civilian hospitals weren't able to cope with the sheer number of wounded people, so for the time being I got them to open the ninja hospitals to the general public. Still, it's hard, but we're trying."

"You know, you could become a good Kage, Jiraiya," Jiraiya just shook his head. "Think on it," the Sandaime began to get up from the bed, sighing. "Any information about Tsunade and Orochimaru?"

"They're both on their way, they should be here in two or three hours, I think."

"Good. Good."

"So, sensei, what are we going to do about this mess?"

"_You_ tell me, Jiraiya, what would _you_ do?"

Jiraiya was taken aback- the Sandaime had never asked him for his opinion before...Orochimaru, sure, but him? He then took a look at Sandaime's face. _Strange. He seems..._

"Hmmm, well, since the bomber was from Iwagakure, I think we can safely say that they are responsible for this. This is an act of war, surely. _Bombing_ a village. At a funeral. Yeah, that sounds like something those bastards would do. They think we're weak. It's time for a lesson, I think." Jiraiya said carefully.

"We're going to do nothing." The Sandaime's tone had a sort of finality to it.

"_What?_" Jiraiya sputtered incredulously. "You're going to let them get away with this? Old Man, I never believed in the people that always said that you'd grown soft…but now-"

"Iwa is not responsible for what happened yesterday," Sarutobi closed his eyes. "Of that I am sure."

Jiraiya stared at the Sandaime as if he had grown another head.

"God, Jiraiya. _Think. _It should be obvious if you just think about it for a moment." said the Sandaime impatiently.

"Oh. Of course. So you think some other village or organisation is attempting to kindle war between us and Iwagakure by pulling this stunt off. I get it now." Jiraiya said after thinking for a moment.

"Yes. Now the problem is, I don't see who exactly benefits from this. The situation being as it is now, if we did go to war, it'd soon be like the third war all over again. Suna will ally with us, probably, and Kiri will ally with Iwa. Kumo will be the wild-card. So if I had to guess, I'd say Kumo gains the most out of this."

"So...you're saying it's Kumo then."

"Ah, no. I have this feeling that even Kumo isn't responsible for this. Something larger is at work here, and I intend to find out _what_." Deidara, his name was, wasn't it. Deidara. _Now where have I heard that before...? _Sarutobi wondered.

"Can I have your copy of the bingo book for a moment?"

"Sure. Here," Jiraiya handed over the book to him, a curious expression on his face. _Wow, sensei sure looks serious. It's like I time-traveled to the past or something. _"But what are you hoping to find in there?"

"_Got it_. Deidara, S-class missing-nin from Iwagakure. Specializes in explosions."

"Who is Deidara again?"

"I didn't tell you? The man who set the bomb off, he told me his name was Deidara," The Sandaime clenched his teeth. "Told me to _remember_ it."

"Oh," said Orochimaru as he stepped inside the office, as both the Sandaime and Jiraiya turned around to look at him. One corner of his mouth was slightly upturned in a lopsided grin, making it seem as if he was amused by something. "Am I interrupting something?"

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"What the _fuck_ are you talking about?" Kakashi asked incredulously.

"I think I know who sent that bomber-guy here. His name is Madara, and he's the most dangerous man on this continent. I think," Obito gulped. "It was a message for me. I think I need to go back to him. Or else...worse things might happen. Will happen."

"Who is this Madara guy again?"

"I just fucking told you! That's _it._ I'm going."

"Obito, Wai-"

But Kakashi was too late, and Obito had already disappeared into the darkness.

"Damn. How?! How does he do that? Just disappear like that? I _have_ to know." Kakashi said, shaking his head.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"So, Orochimaru, what do you think?" The Sandaime asked his pale student after explaining everything to him about the situation at hand. Jiraiya had gone to visit Tsunade who herself had gone to the hospital to supervise the short-handed staff immediately after visiting the Sandaime. While it was true that Tsunade was useless as a surgeon due to her phobia of blood, she still had years of experience in tending to the wounded which would be very useful.

"I agree with your theory, sensei. But you seemed too quick to cross Kumo out," Orochimaru raised his yellow, slitted eyes to the Sandaime's level. "It makes me wonder...is there something you're not telling me...us?"

Sarutobi's eyes grew hard. "No." _  
_

Orochimaru broke the stare after a while, and smiled.

"Of course. I'm sorry for assuming that of you, sensei."

"So what do you think we should do?"

"We should do what they expect us to do," Orochimaru's smile had now reached all the way up to his eyes. "Declare war. Or something similiar might happen in Iwa, Kumo, or perhaps even Suna. If what you say about Kumo is true- that is, that they are definitely not a part of this, then this is obviously the work of one of the minor villages or a terrorist group. Whatever or whoever it is, they are powerful enough to hire an S-class missing nin and help him get into our village unidentified. They had even Iwa fooled with this farce. And the next time it happens- and it will, these sorts of things do not happen only once- it will be us who will be blamed. It's inevitable, sensei. The nations have been restless as of late. The young daimyo's yearn to go to war for glory. A spark is all it will take for another-"

The Sandaime sighed, "No. For the time being, we will do nothing. I will not have another war on my hands. Nevermind my asking, Orochimaru. It would be best if you forget about this."

"Of course. If that is what you wish, sensei. Then we will do nothing?"

"We will do nothing. But we will watch."

"Well, you _are_ the Hokage, after all. So was this all you needed me for? I was under the assumption that you had to talk to me about Danzo. Where is the old bat, anyway? I'd have thought he would have been up in arms about this whole fiasco, lobbying up with the council to try to make them go to war...has something happened to him?"

"He's dead," The Sandaime paused to look at Orochimaru's expression. It betrayed nothing. _I trained him well."_God, that's another mystery in an of itself. I'll have my secretary leave the report about it on your desk. What I called you for was to inform you that now since Danzo is dead, ROOT is left leaderless. And they will obey no one but Danzo. I need you to do the necessary," The Sandaime cleared his throat. "You can lead those who survive." Orochimaru had been getting more ambitious lately. _This ought to sate his thirst for a while_, at least.

"Oh. That's..._wonderful_. I have the leave to do whatever is necessary?"

The Sandaime hesitated a bit before nodding, "Yes". _It's for the greater good_, he assured himself.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Madara's eyes caught and held him. They were the same dark eyes that Tobi had seen before. _Eyes like an angry God's_. For a moment it was all Tobi could do to not draw back from the table. There was an icy silence.

"So you've come back." He rasped.

Tobi gulped despite his best efforts to not let the intimidation get to him.

Madara leaned forward, bringing his face close to Tobi's. _He looks so old, so frail, _Obito thought_. I could kill him. I could kill him right now._

"I know what you're thinking, Tobi," Madara activated his eternal Sharingan. "But you mistake me for a fool. You see the old man at the front, the light dappling on the water, but you forget about the deep dark underneath. Listen," taking a hold of Tobi's sleeve, Madara paused. "You cannot hurt me. You cannot run or hide from me. Know this, Tobi: if you run counter to my desire, the remainder of your brief mortal span will be an orchestra of misery. _I_ will make sure of it," The look in Madara's eyes told Tobi he was _this_ close to dying. The massive killing intent emanating from the old and emaciated Uchiha left him gasping for breath. Tobi managed to nod. Letting go of his sleeve, Madara added- "Your next mission is to stage an assasination for the Tsuchikage. But do not kill him. Make it look like someone from Kumo did it."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

* * *

**Part II**

**Snake**

4 Years Later

* * *

They said it was nothing unusual, just the way it goes, they get old, the system goes down, lights blink out, and there you have it, another body on the floor surrounded by things that don't mean much to anyone except to the one who cant take any of them along.

So when Homura was found dead in his bed, nothing much was made of it. He died in his sleep. Must've been old age, people assumed.

But when Koharu too, was found dead in her bed, much in the same way, that is, dying in her sleep- that was when people began to wonder.

Danzo had died four years earlier, but that was different. There had been a note.

Now the deaths of Homura and Koharu were much more puzzling, after the doctors found out that they both died within ten minutes of each other. But people chalked it up to coincidence. What else could it have been?

The Sandaime had been quite distraught, for both of them were his teammates. A short and quick funeral was arranged, and since both of them had no living relatives, only a few people attended.

Orochimaru shrugged when Jiraiya asked him what he thought of it. "Their deaths don't even matter. But I think it was murder. Making it look like they died in their sleep, it is tricky, but possible with the correct chemicals. I think we have a medic-nin killer here. Search for missing-nin who are medics. There shouldn't be that many of them anyway. It could also be someone within the village, so you might need to investigate the hospital as well. Ask questions, whatever it is you do."

"I don't understand, why kill them? Like you said, they didn't matter much. With Danzo dead, the council has been quite subservient to sensei lately. Homura-san and Koharu-san included."

A casual shrug again. "I don't know, Jiraiya."

"Hmph. Your mission...with ROOT, how goes it, then?"

"It's going well. I think the results will be apparent within a month."

"Ah, then that's good, isn't it?"

"Yes. Also, I wanted to ask you," Orochimaru paused and took a look around, as if to see if anyone was near. "Did he say anything to you about the meeting he's arranged with the Raikage for the day after tomorrow?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. It's a diplomatic meeting, to finalize Konoha's and Kumo's plans for an alliance. I hear the Sandaime and the Raikage had been in contact for quite a while after the failed assassination attempt on the Tsuchikage three years ago. He didn't tell you?"

"No. He...doesn't talk to me much, these days."

"Oh...okay. Well, since this is over," Jiraiya was talking about Homura and Koharu's joint-funeral. "I should get going. Need to get in contact with my informants. See you later, then."

"Hn."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

_How much does he know?_ Orochimaru asked himself as he looked at the man's carefully blank expression. It was a game every spymaster played with their informants. In a field where information was the biggest prize, revealing as less information as one can while getting the most out of the other was the point of the game.

Orochimaru had, of course, kept his spy-network secret from Konoha. It had been necessary.

"Are you sure? _Absolutely_ sure?"

"Yes! How many damned times do I have to tell you?"

"The Raikage has no part in it?"

"Not that I know of. Those two idiots cooked the plan up by themselves. Now, I've told you what you wanted. My turn now- about the Jinchuriki?"

"Fine. His name is Naruto. He's presently in the care of Jiraiya, but," The man began to cough. Orochimaru stood up. "Jiraiya is not in the village often- that's when the boy is in the care of Kakashi Hatake. About his parents, I checked his records- of his father, nothing is known," _Minato Namikaze_. Orochimaru walked over to where the man from Kumo was seated. He was coughing up blood now.

"Y-you bastard…p-poison…"

Orochimaru put a hand on the man's shoulder and continued as if nothing happened. "Of his mother, only her last name was mentioned- Uzumaki." _Kushina Uzumaki._

"Now our deal is complete." Orochimaru said.

The man was dead. Orochimaru took a kunai from his pouch and put it through the man's neck, just to be sure. _Amateur._

"A plan to abduct the Hyuuga heir for the Byakugan, eh? Now what can I do with this information, I wonder…" He mused out loud.

Orochimaru began to laugh maniacally. _What can I do, indeed?_

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I know this may be a concern for many of you, so I'll clear this up now: Orochimaru is neither good nor evil; he is simply working for himself and so he does whatever that will benefit him- think of that what you will. Secondly, Why is he still here in Konoha? While it is a bit ambiguous, Orochimaru left the village two or three years after the Kyuubi attacked Konoha when the Sandaime found him experimenting on civilians and citizens of Konoha (according to a time-line I saw on the net...if this is not the case, well, there is always the AU excuse, isn't it?) But in my universe, since Danzo died, he had ROOT to do his...thing. And all with the Sandaime's legal permission. Also, Homura and Koharu dying is important- more about that in the later chapters.

So, R&R, please tell me what you thought about this chapter, feedback is always appreciated.


	5. Hyuuga

**Unmasked**

* * *

. . .

"_I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once__."_

-John Green, _The Fault in Our Stars_

. . .

* * *

**Previously:**

The man was dead. Orochimaru took a kunai from his pouch and put it through the man's neck, just to be sure. _Amateur._

"A plan to abduct the Hyuuga heir for the Byakugan, eh? Now what can I do with this information, I wonder…" He mused out loud.

Orochimaru began to laugh maniacally. _What can I do, indeed?_

* * *

Chapter Five

**Hyuuga**

* * *

Keiichi's dented tin cup was filled with a dark liquid, though he wasn't drinking. He sat beside the wall, near enough the inn's single window to watch the dirt street outside, dimly lit in the evening by a few rusty lanterns hung outside buildings.

The inn overlooked the playground, which was currently deserted with only one exception- a lone boy, looking to be about four years old, sat on a swing- but that was it.

Keiichi took care not to let his profile show through the smeared glass. He never looked directly out. It was always best not to attract attention in an enemy village. Not when a man was planning what he was.

He glanced at his watch – 6 pm. He'd been told that the Hyuuga heir would be coming through this side of the street in about- he glanced at his watch again- fifteen more minutes.

Sure enough, twelve minutes later, he could make out the profile of two white-clad persons making their way through to the playground. A small girl, and a lady trailing a few steps behind.

Keiichi got up from his seat, after making sure that no one was looking. He paid his due to the lone innkeeper and went out into the dimly lit street.

After he left, a pale-faced man emerged from the back of the inn, slitted yellow eyes shining with mirth.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

The boy who was sitting alone on the swing saw the two persons coming as well, and since one of them looked to be about his age, he excitedly got up from the swing and walked over close to where those two were headed.

Smiling widely and sheepishly, he raised his hands to his mouth and shouted, "Hey! You wanna play together?"

Hinata Hyuuga heard the boy's shout and looked up to the lady trailing close behind her, as if for approval. She hadn't been allowed to play with people of other clans before…but no one had ever _asked_ to play with her before too.

The lady looked a bit hesitant at first, but when the boy's visage came into full view she nodded with a small smile on her face. The lady was, of course, her mother. She'd recognized the boy on sight, the blonde hair and face so similar to Minato Namikaze was hard to overlook.

_It's Kushina's son._

The nod of approval was all Hinata needed- she went running over to the boy, curious to know how people from other clans acted_. _She was going to make her first real friend. "Y-yes…I wanna play too." she said shyly, not knowing how to act properly around kids her age not from the Hyuuga clan.

"Cool! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meet ya!" said Naruto boisterously, with a grin that reached up to his eyes.

"I'm H-Hinata Hyuuga…nice to meet you too…Naruto-kun."

Lady Masami, Hinata's mother watched them both play from afar, eyes shining from what could've been tears. She'd learned today that she only had a few weeks, or at best, a month left to live. The terminal disease had eaten her away from within. Hinata hadn't been told yet.

So, in an effort to make up for time lost between her and Hinata for the time she'd spent at the hospital, she'd started taking her to the playground every day for the past week- only after it was six, of course, since the playground was empty at that time. Today was the first day it hadn't been empty, but Naruto's presence made the experience all the more better in her mind.

_Hinata made her first friend today._

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

Kakashi was in a foul mood on his way back to quarters, so he stayed away from the busier parts of Konoha, sticking to the quieter lanes and gardens to the side of the central road. He glowered down at his feet as he walked, to further discourage any social encounter. Today's mission had been an A-rank but halfway through had turned into an S-rank- his squad had got into a run-in with ninjas from Iwa thirsting for blood- he'd managed to save them all, but barely.

It seemed that lady luck was not on his side today, for he could see the visage of a man in shocking green clothes standing on the pavement smiling widely up at him.

Kakashi frowned. _Damned eyebrow-freak, I don't have the time for this again._

"Oh, Kakashi-san! I was just looking for you! Your flames of youth burn brightly indeed! I believe I know the answer to the riddle you gave me a week ago! - It's a hole, isn't it?"

"…"

"Come on, it's a hole, isn't it? What gets lighter when you add something to it? A hole."

_No, it's your retarded brain._

"Maa, you're right. The answer was a hole. Good job, Gai! Now…I believe I forgot something…need to get home soon. We'll talk later, alright?"

"Sure, I'll go with you! I've been wanting to meet Naruto again, after all."

That was when Kakashi realized he really had forgotten something. Something really important.

Shit, I promised him I'll take him to the playground today. But then this goddamned mission went horribly wrong and I forgot all about it. God, what if he's still waiting?

An image of Naruto sitting on a swing all alone by himself, face dejected sprang into his mind. _Shit._

Kakashi's face turned serious as he vanished with a blur.

Gai shouted "Wait up, I'm coming too!" as he too, took off running behind Kakashi.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

A ways away from the playground, Keiichi met up with his partner from Kumo. The presence of the lady and the other kid would be a nuisance- two eyewitnesses. After conferring among themselves for a a while, they had decided with finality to to 'take care' of the two. The thought hadn't popped into Keiichi's mind really, but then he had always been slow in these matters. When his partner suggested it, the idea seemed as good as any to him. Keiichi did notice that his partner was acting a bit weird after they met up, but he chalked it up to nerves- it would be a dangerous mission, after all.

"So, the lady first?" The lady was sitting on one of the park benches, in such a way that her profile wasn't visible to the two kids playing.

"Yes."

Keiichi didn't see the grin his partner had when he turned his face away.

_The incompetence astounds me_, Orochimaru muttered as the Kumo jounin led the way.

"Did you say something?" Keiichi asked.

"No."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

Masami fondly watched the kids play from her seat on the bench next to the playground. As the wife of the current Hyuuga clan-head, one would expect her to be cold and distant, qualities prized by the Hyuuga themselves- and yet she was anything but. She wasn't a true Hyuuga- she did not have their signature Byakugan, and she had not been born into the clan. She'd just been a civilian when Hiashi's eyes had caught her.

Oh, yes, she remembered the horror with which the elders had regarded her and Hiashi's sudden marriage. But it had all been done in secret, organized by him and his brother- and the elders, for all their power, couldn't force Hiashi to annul it. She'd later heard that Hizashi had been tortured for helping his brother in the affair.

Sighing, she glanced at the watch and got up from her seat- it was time to go. She then heard a scream coming from the direction of the playground. She looked around worriedly, but she couldn't see Hinata from her location- _she'd just been here a moment ago!_

That was when she heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind her, and before she could turn around a hand was on her mouth. Someone whispered in her ear, something in the person's voice reminding her of a snake: "Keep quiet."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

**Author's Notes:** Meh, a really reaaaally short chapter...sorry. I wanted to conclude this arc with this chapter but it was growing too long to post in one chapter, so I decided to break it into two parts. At least this gives me a bit of a buffer though, so that's good. As always, R&R!


	6. Preparations

**Unmasked**

* * *

. . .

"_It makes no difference what men think of war. War endures. You could as well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man, even. The ultimate trade waiting for its ultimate practitioner. That is the way it was and will be_._"_

-Cormac McCarthy, _Blood Meridian_

. . .

* * *

**Previously:**

Sighing, she glanced at the watch and got up from her seat- it was time to go. She then heard a scream coming from the direction of the playground. She looked around worriedly, but she couldn't see Hinata from her location- she'd just been here a moment ago!

That was when she heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind her, and before she could turn around a hand was on her mouth. Someone whispered in her ear, something in the person's voice reminding her of a snake: "Keep quiet."

* * *

Chapter Six

**Preparations**

* * *

"I'm sorry." Orochimaru whispered into Masami's ear before knocking her out with a blow to the head. He contemplated the merits and demerits of killing her for a while before he heard a scream coming from the direction of the playground. "The damned fool!" he hissed under his breath. _I ordered him not to hurt them!_

Looking down at the prone body of the Hyuuga's mother, he sighed before talking out loud. "I'm sorry Hyuuga-san. I really am. But you must understand," And with those words he slashed a kunai across her throat. He then cleaned the kunai with her clothes, then dusted himself off before taking out a letter from his pocket. He then kept the letter on the dead woman's body before leaving off towards the direction where he'd heard the screams come from. "There can be no loose ends, after all."

Arriving at his destination, Orochimaru paused a few feet away from the playground. He was greeted with the sight of three bodies on the ground, one charred and blackened beyond recognition.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

Kakashi and Gai heard the screams coming from the playground, making them propel even faster to their destination. Kakashi stopped abruptly as he saw a body lying on the ground a ways away from the playground. He cursed under his breath as he went towards it.

Kneeling beside the body, he could now recognize whose it was on some inspection. The white traditional clan robes were a dead giveaway- this was a Hyuuga. The black-colored eyes meant that the woman on the ground was undoubtedly the wife of the Hyuuga clan head- she was the only person in the clan not of the bloodline at the moment. Gai stopped and knelt down as well, closing his eyes and joining his hands in a small prayer to the gods for the dead woman.

Kakashi's eyes fell upon an envelope kept beside the woman's body. He snatched at it as fast as a bolt of lightning, tore it open to read the contents within. Moments later, he closed his eyes, sighed, and spoke: "Gai, I need you to go to the Hokage immediately. Tell him that the village is in danger- Lady Masami is dead, and her daughter has been kidnapped. Give him this letter as well," he said, handing over the envelope to him. "Go. Now." Seeing the look in Kakashi's eyes, Gai gave an involuntary shudder before nodding. "Kakashi." he said before running off in the opposite direction, leaving a thick plume of smoke behind.

_Naruto, sorry. You'll have to wait a bit more_. Standing up, Kakashi took out an explosion tag from his pocket and timed it to explode in ten seconds.

_It's not that I don't trust Gai- but this should get the ANBU here sooner._

_ I hope._

Kakashi vanished with a blur as the explosion tag went off.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

"This is the jackpot, isn't it? The Jinchuriki _and_ the Hyuuga? But alas, I cannot take the Jinchuriki," _Yet._ "It would be too bold. The old man's already suspicious of me as it is." said Orochimaru, kneeling beside the blackened body of his temporary accomplice. Assuming that the man was dead, Orochimaru prodded him for inspection. To his surprise, the man drew in a ragged breath. The man groaned. "Fascinating..." Orochimaru trailed off, piecing the events together. He could see it happening now, in the moonstream of his imagination.

_The man comes behind the two children who were happily playing together, all loud and full of threats. The man is a bit disoriented by the other child's presence, but he decides to take both of them to his accomplice to decide what to do next. He goes for the girl first, knocking her out easily and successfully. Then he turns to the boy. The boy, feeling cornered and threatened, gives in to the beast within, allowing it to take control for a moment. The boy under the Kyuubi's influence lashes out with chakra, burning the man, and then passes out himself._

Orochimaru was satisfied with his recreation of the event- it might not have happened exactly this way, but it was good enough at the moment. He was cut off from his musings when he heard something over the man's groans. He irritably silenced the man permanently with a blow to the neck before fully concentrating on the sound he'd just heard. It was a sort of crunching sound, the sound one makes when stepping over a crumpled leaf. It came from directly behind him. Cursing under his breath, Orochimaru wondered how the ANBU had responded so soon. He hadn't counted on this...

A blur came and tackled Orochimaru to the ground, a kunai instantly on his neck. He looked up to see a red sharingan eye spinning furiously. He allowed a small smile to come on his face before vanishing with a poof of smoke and reappearing behind the man.

"Ah, Kakashi-san, you're here."

Kakashi stood up and turned around, looking a bit disoriented by the sannin's speed. He stuttered a quick apology to the snake-like man, looking a bit intimidated by the smile Orochimaru wore.

"Now now, no need to apologize, Kakashi-san. It's quite alright, I wasn't hurt in the least. You must've mistaken me with somebody else, no?" He saw Kakashi nod slowly. "If that was the case then think nothing of it. So, Kakashi-san, I assume you're fully aware of the situation?" asked Orochimaru.

"I don't think so...the whole thing seems rather..." he trailed off.

"Primitive?" Orochimaru suggested.

"Yes. There was a letter," Kakashi paused, and Orochimaru nodded, beckoning Kakashi to go on. "_Kumo will have the Byakugan, one way or another_. That's what it said."

Orochimaru needed to know if he had to kill another person today. He thought about how it would play out- _Oh, Hokage-sama, it's a tragedy! I came upon the situation too late, and Kakashi died valiantly saving the Hyuuga clan heir and Naruto from the Kumo jounin!_ - The old man would never believe him. No, he had to do something else. Mindwashing? No, too hard for one with a strong will like him. "So? Tell me what you made of it." he said, trying to get more information from Kakashi before thinking of what to do.

"The contents of the letter are quite suspicious, true, but it does match up. The Raikage is in the village with his retinue, but this move seems too bold, even for him. I'd say that this was one of the ninjas acting independently- the Raikage would never take such a big risk while inside an enemy village himself. Kumo has always lusted after the Byakugan, and perhaps one of the ninjas thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get the bloodline within their grasp. Then something went wrong, and the ninja had to kill the Lady. She resisted, perhaps, trying to call out for help." Kakashi told his theory carefully.

_That's exactly how it happened,_ Orochimaru thought to himself._ Of course, I was the one who killed her, but you don't know that now, do you?_ Orochimaru thought about it and decided on his action. He saw no harm in letting Kakashi think that his theory was true for the moment- his plan was ruined now, anyway. Best to not leave behind a trail of bodies so big that it could be traced back to him- protecting himself took priority over getting a Byakugan for experimentation. And then there was the matter of the Jinchuriki as well: the boy showed potential, if he could be trained. He'd tell the Hokage his version of events, tell him how Naruto had let the beast influence him, and persuade the Hokage to give the boy to him for training._ Yes, with a Jinchuriki at my side..._he was cut out of his musings by Kakashi's curt voice inquiring- "Orochimaru-sama? I'll take the children to the hospital- the ANBU should be arriving soon-" Orochimaru cut Kakashi off, "Of course. I'll take care of the situation here, Kakashi-san."

_I just have to spin the story the right way, and I'll walk off with a Jinchuriki._

Orochimaru smiled despite himself.

_The plan hasn't been ruined after all._

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

"Sensei, the boy lost control. You saw the jounin's body, didn't you? Burned to a crisp. I didn't do that. Naruto did." said Orochimaru, while Sarutobi Hiruzen sat on his desk, smoking from his pipe. The Sandaime palmed his head, nursing another headache.

"You didn't write that in your report. Why?"

"I believed the information to be only of relevance to you. With this being the second time an enemy has attacked us in our own village, I have reason to believe that there may be spies in our forces. It would be best not to let them know that we have a Jinchuriki who has no control over his beast."

"Surely you exaggerate, Orochimaru. It should've been just a momentary transgression, otherwise we all would've sensed the demon's youki. I have faith in Minato's seal. And in a way, it was fortunate, don't you think?"

"Permission to speak freely, Hokage-sama?"

"Granted."

"It seems that you are too complacent with regard to the village's safety, Hokage-sama. There have been two attacks _on our own grounds_ by enemy villages, and yet we sit here arguing amongst ourselves about not wanting another war," Orochimaru was referring to the council session that took place yesterday, immediately after he had made his formal report. "We'll be the laughing stock of the other villages before long if this goes on. War is always a definite possibility in this world, Hokage-sama. We're ninja, after all. And in war we have a trump card- the jinchuriki of the greatest of the tailed beasts- the nine tails. Surely you must see the benefit in training him, starting from now? I am not saying we turn him into a weapon, Hokage-sama. I'm not Danzo. But there was a certain truth to his words- we need to use the resources granted to us correctly. That is all I wished to say, Hokage-sama. The final decision is up to you."

The Sandaime sighed, and Orochimaru could see the tiredness his sensei felt. When he stood up, however, Orochimaru could see the fire burning in his sensei's eyes- the same he'd seen when he was a child. The will of fire, his sensei had called it.

"Of course, you're right as always, Orochimaru. Perhaps the villages have forgotten how the Leaf stood tall above them in the first three wars. Yes, Orochimaru, war is a definite possibility: I have not forgotten that, I'm not that old yet. In fact, the plans for alliance I and the Raikage had drawn up before yesterday's events accounted for war specifically within the next two years. Since that has fallen through, we have no choice. Yet I shall not be the one to plunge the world into another shinobi world war, no. But yes, I believe it is time that Naruto has to be trained. In fact, I believe it's time to revamp the academy training program itself- we need our genin to be strong, if war is on the horizon. No special training for any one person- yes, Orochimaru, not even Naruto, I have faith in the Yondaime and his seal. For you, I have just the right job in mind- you will sniff out all ninja that you think are suspicious of being spies and report to me."

And with those words, Orochimaru felt his hopes and dreams of building a new world for himself with a pet Jinchuriki at his sides shatter. He'd underestimated the old man badly, and now he paid for it. Sure, the old man probably didn't know Orochimaru's true intentions, but he had outmaneuvered him all the same. He resisted the urge to curse loudly as his sensei added- "Konoha will be ready for war, when the time comes."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Well, I know this is an excuse, but I had this written for like a month before but I went on a vacation after the finals and the place where I went to had limited internet connectivity so I couldn't publish it. Oh well, I hope you guys haven't lost interest yet!

Timeskip next chapter.

Read and review peoples, tell me if you liked it, criticism is also welcome and if you people have any questions feel free to ask me over a review or a PM!

**Important:** I'm thinking of starting a new thing from next chapter, a sort of 'Wisey's fanfiction recommendations' if you will. I'll recommend 1-2 fanfics (from mainly the Naruto fandom) which I think are really good but under-reviewed/unpopular to help them out a bit. It would be great if You, the readers could help me out by suggesting some fics which you think are really good but underrated so I can check them out to see if they're worth recommending (this can be done by either reviews or PMs) Thanks!


	7. Change

**Unmasked**

* * *

. . .

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair older men._"_

-Frederick Douglass

. . .

* * *

**Previously:**

And with those words, Orochimaru felt his hopes and dreams of building a new world for himself with a pet Jinchuriki at his sides shatter. He'd underestimated the old man badly, and now he paid for it. Sure, the old man probably didn't know Orochimaru's true intentions, but he had outmaneuvered him all the same. He resisted the urge to curse loudly as his sensei added- "Konoha will be ready for war, when the time comes."

* * *

Chapter Seven

**Change**

* * *

As Jiraiya read the document in front of him, his eyes wandered to the two people sitting on either sides of him. Tsunade was sitting with a huge grin on her face to his left, while Orochimaru looked as calm as ever to his right. On closer inspection, though, Jiraiya noticed that the small smile Orochimaru had on his face looked a bit strained.

Jiraiya snorted and went back to reading.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat on the chair directly in front of the three Sannin. He was looking out of the window - looking at the village down below, seemingly lost in his thoughts, smoking absent-mindedly from his pipe which he held straight with one hand.

After Jiraiya had finished, the three Sannin glanced at each other, and Orochimaru nodded. He then coughed to gain the Sandaime's attention. Sarutobi removed the pipe from his mouth. "Ah, are you all finished? So, what do you think?" he said, looking at his students.

The Sannin once again glanced at each other, and this time Tsunade and Jiraiya both nodded to Orochimaru. Orochimaru sighed, shook his head, and began to speak, "Correct me if I'm wrong, Hokage-sama, but this seems quite similiar to-" he managed to say before he was abruptly stopped by the Sandaime with a careless wave of his hand.

"Yes, you'll find that this is quite similiar to the policies used back in the Nidaime's Era," the Sandaime said a bit impatiently. He then nodded to Orochimaru. "Continue." the Sandaime added when Orochimaru didn't say a word, motioning the man to speak.

Tsunade and Jiraiya shared a conspiratorial smile at Orochimaru's visible annoyance.

"Of course," Orochimaru began again, his smile now glaringly fake. "The plan looks good on paper, I admit," he glanced down at his copy of the document before looking straight into the eyes of the Sandaime. "But you must keep in mind that these policies were drafted as far as fifty years ago- the situation then was much different than what it is now-" and for the second time in one day, the Sandaime stopped Orochimaru in the middle of his speech.

"The situation we're in- the situation the whole continent is in right now, is far more similar to the situation fifty years ago than you might think. You forget that I was alive back then- I've experienced it all. The Shodaime had just died, back then, and the daimyo's of every country itched for glory- itched for war. The death of the most powerful man in the continent- the man who had single-handedly locked the hidden villages in peace, after ending the first war decisively- had set the stage for the second war. At first, there were attempts at assassination of the leaders of major villages. It was at that moment that the Nidaime had set these policies- which, in my opinion, resulted in the victory of the Leaf and its allies in the end. You will find that the situation we're in right now, is quite similar to what it was fifty years ago. With Minato dead, the villages grow bolder. They hold back now," the Sandaime paused, before looking up at Orochimaru.

Jiraiya and Tsunade noticed that there was a fire in his eyes, the same as when he'd been young- when he'd been their teacher.

"But you of all people should know that it is only the calm before the storm. There was a failed assassination attempt on the Tsuchikage, four years ago. Two years ago, there was an attempt on the Raikage's son. A spark is all it will take, I fear," the Sandaime glanced at the window again.

"To plunge the continent into another war. And this time, we have no Shodaime. No Yellow Flash," he paused. "Make no mistake. War is inevitable. And this time, we stand alone. This," he said, pointing to the document before him, "was only for your benefit. I have already drafted the legislation required to implement it."

Jiraiya stared at the Sandaime in awe. This was the man who'd taught him to be a ninja. This was the man who was called _God of Shinobi.  
_

"We have the Jinchuriki of the Nine-tails," Orochimaru said, breaking the silence that had taken place after the Sandaime's speech. "We have Naruto."

"I believe I've discussed the matter with you twice now, Orochimaru. I will not change my stance on this." the Sandaime sighed.

"While it is entertaining to watch you both talk with each other- what was the purpose of calling us all here, sensei? Surely not this document, which you've already put up for legislation?" Tsunade interjected, growing a bit impatient.

"Yes. The matter which I've called you all here for is of utmost importance to the safety of the village. It's about the Uchiha clan..." the Sandaime explained. At the end of his explanation, Jiraiya sighed, Tsunade palmed her head, and Orochimaru...Orochimaru just smiled.

* * *

4 Years Later

On his way to the academy building, Naruto, now eight years old, was understandably nervous. Today was supposed to be his first day at the _new_ academy. He'd left home quite early, to be the first person to enter the school, but he'd ended up losing his way and now he was running a bit late.

He noticed the children walking with their parents, smiles on their faces, excitement displayed openly to all who could see. He himself, of course, had no such escort- his parents had died before he was born-he was an orphan.

In the distance, he could already see the profile of the academy coming into view. It was nothing like the old building, which he had been going to for the past two years. It was huge. Humongous. He gulped and put on a smile before opening the door to enter.

A kindly-looking man was standing at the door, and he smiled at Naruto. "First year?" he asked. Naruto bobbed his head up and down, his eyes wide as saucers at seeing the academy from the inside- all nervousness gone and replaced by thinly veiled excitement. The kindly man pointed the way to the class which he was supposed to go. Naruto thanked him and was on his way.

He opened the door to see that the class was half-full already, nodded to himself and went to the first open seat he could find and sat down. Beside him, a boy whose hair looked like a pineapple snored loudly. Naruto looked around to see if somebody he knew was in the class when his eyes spotted a girl wearing a white jacket with white eyes- Hinata. _Well, at least I have a friend here_, he thought, and smiled up at her. She wasn't looking directly at him however, so she didn't see him. Naruto turned around to get a good look at the class. Most of the children were boys, and to his dismay, quite a lot of them were larger than him. Some of them looked at him oddly, but that was nothing new to him.

A man stepped into the class and shut the door behind him quietly, and stood at the front rows of the seats. His Konoha jounin uniform looked crisp and perfect, and the smile plastered on his face was as unstainable as his clothes. They have a _jounin_ teaching us? Naruto wondered, seeing the man's uniform.

"My dear darling little children," he said. He opened his mouth fully to speak this time, and Naruto noticed that the man didn't have a lot of teeth. "So you've all been selected for the..." the man paused, as if for emphasis. "_Special_ Genin Program. Welcome, then," the man wrote something on the blackboard with a piece of chalk. "to the Academy."

On the board, written in capital letters, was only one word- Hell. The man smiled widely, displaying his teeth- or rather, the absence of them.

"And let me warn you: no matter how annoying or enticing some other child might be, keep your hands to yourself. Remember- all of you scored every bit as high as each other," the man's eyes moved to Naruto, then to a black-haired boy who was wearing a blue shirt, and then finally resting on the boy who was sleeping next to Naruto. "and some scored higher. You children were admitted to the new program because you scored the highest among your peers: you may notice that there is a lot of disparity in your ages for that very reason. Your peers who were fortunate enough to be not selected, will continue with the standard ninja program, continuing their stay in the old academy for another four years, and this boy," he pointed to a boy sitting in the corner looking out of the window, "will tell you why. Stand up, _stand up,_ boy. Your name, first."

The boy stood up sullenly at being singled out, and replied, "Kiba Inuzuka." Naruto noticed that the boy had tattoos on his face- he remembered him from the previous academy: wasn't he the one with the dog?

"Yes, Kiba, tell us why you and the other children here were selected for this academy."

The boy knew he'd made a mistake, but he decided to tough it out. "Uh...I...because, well, because we're better than 'em, that's why. I mean you said we scored the highest, right? In the tests?"

"Quite. You may sit down now, boy, and do not make the mistake of not paying attention when I am speaking ever again," the man then turned to the other students. "Now, there were many tests, as you may remember. Some of you scored higher on Physical, some on Mental, some on Social. Nevertheless, the results say that you are the best of your generation," the man grinned again, mirthlessly. "For your sake, I hope you are."

The man took attendance then, and left soon after. Naruto had memorized the names of the two people that the man had looked at while talking about scores- _Sasuke and Shikamaru._ The man's introduction session set the tone for the rest of the day- the other sensei's had more or less the same attitude when dealing with the children. Naruto wondered the reason why. Normally, you'd want a teacher to be someone approachable- something close to a friend. But this new program was handling it exactly the opposite way- they had set the teachers up as someone so far above them that they looked all but unapproachable.

"They want us to not depend on them," muttered the boy who had just been sleeping beside him before. "Troublesome." he added as he sat up. He then extended his hand toward Naruto, "I'm Shikamaru."

Naruto took the hand gingerly and shook it. "Naruto."

* * *

Author's Notes: A short introductory chapter to the new arc. Reviews, as always, are appreciated- especially for motivation purposes. Tell me what you thought about it, etc etc. Constructive Criticism is welcome. Have questions? Ask away. (I know some of you will be curious about this 'new' Academy)

Some questions you may have in your mind:

**Q: War is inevitable? Why? WTF?!**

A: Because of Madara's actions through Tobi's hands. Refer to chapter 4.

**Q: Why is Sandaime so OOC?!**

A: The Sandaime is acting like a real Hokage due to a combination of multiple factors, however the most crucial one was his humiliation at the funeral due to Deidara. It was a blow to his pride- in no other Hokage's reign had an attack like this happened. Also, because I want him to be BA.

**Q: WAT 'thing about the Uchiha clan'?**

A: It's fairly obvious, but to those who didn't get it, the Uchiha are planning something. And the Sandaime knows. (_Think!_)

**Q: Y NO MOB ATTACKING NARUTO?!**

A: I'll make this clear in the later chapters, but just for the record: No one except for the important people know of Naruto's status as a Jinchuriki.


	8. The Uchiha: Part One

**Unmasked**

* * *

. . .

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places."

-Ernest Hemingway

. . .

* * *

**Previously:**

The man took attendance then, and left soon after. Naruto had memorized the names of the two people that the man had looked at while talking about scores- Sasuke and Shikamaru. The man's introduction session set the tone for the rest of the day- the other sensei's had more or less the same attitude when dealing with the children. Naruto wondered the reason why. Normally, you'd want a teacher to be someone approachable- something close to a friend. But this new program was handling it exactly the opposite way- they had set the teachers up as someone so far above them that they looked all but unapproachable.

"They want us to not depend on them," muttered the boy who had just been sleeping beside him before. "Troublesome." he added as he sat up. He then extended his hand toward Naruto, "I'm Shikamaru."

Naruto took the hand gingerly and shook it. "Naruto."

* * *

Chapter Eight

**The Uchiha: Part One**

* * *

Soon after the man who had taken their attendance- he hadn't specified his name- left, there was a sudden tumult of voices engaging in the habitual ridicule and gossip of youth. Naruto stayed at his seat, along with Shikamaru who had resumed sleeping again after introducing himself to the blonde boy.

Naruto sighed and craned his neck to get a look at where Hinata was sitting. After a bit of searching, he spotted her sitting near the back of the class, surrounded by a group of girls. She was staring down at the ground, a red flush on her cheeks- while the girls around her laughed.

_Are they picking on her?_

Eyes narrowing, he almost got out of his seat- but he stopped when he saw another boy approaching the group of girls. Long hair, white eyes, white clothing, it wasn't hard to put it all together for Naruto- this boy was obviously a Hyuuga. The boy spoke something to the group of girls which made them all go quiet- he spoke softly enough that Naruto couldn't hear, but apparently the girls had stopped whatever they were doing, at least. Naruto relaxed. The Hyuuga boy went back to his seat beside a girl who he'd seen working in the weapons shop that was close to his home.

That was when Hinata looked up and saw Naruto, who instantly flashed her a wide grin and a thumbs up, making her smile.

Then the bell rung, and the class lapsed into silence.

The classroom door opened, and a young man let himself in. The man looked to be about fifteen years old, no more, to Naruto. _Is this our teacher?_ he wondered. Most of his previous teachers had been older, but then again, this _was_ a special program.

The man was not wearing the jounin-vest the other person had been wearing. Instead, he wore a simple high-collared, dark colored outfit, on the back of which was the Uchiha clan symbol. He faced the class, cleared his throat and smiled. Naruto, who was tense due to the previous teacher's nature, relaxed. So did the other children. He noticed that Shikamaru had apparently woken up.

"Hello students!" the man began enthusiastically, "I am Shisui Uchiha." he paused, as if waiting for something. _Does he think we know of him...?_

After a momentary silence, Shisui continued, one eyebrow raised. "I will be your teacher for two subjects," he picked up a chalk and wrote something on the board. He stepped aside from the podium to let the students see what he had written.

T&S, Genjutsu.

_Wait, they're actually going to teach us Genjutsu? _

Their teachers had told them that there was no need to study Genjutsu at the Academy level aside from how to dispel them.

"T&S stands for Tactics and Strategy. Genjutsu is the study of illusion techniques. But really, before we begin, I need you all to introduce yourselves. You know, the _usual_ stuff." he shrugged. "Likes, dislikes, hopes, dreams, whatever. We'll start with-" the man's eyes wandered the class, finally resting on the black haired boy that Naruto had memorized the name of. Sasuke. Sasuke _Uchiha_. "-you." Shisui said, pointing at Sasuke.

The boy stood up without hesitation and dusted himself off before beginning."I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I like learning new techniques from my brother. I dislike when he ignores me. My goal for the future is..." the boy's eyes glinted for a moment, Naruto noticed. "to make my father proud of me." _  
_

Shisui nodded, motioned for the boy to sit down, and made another boy stand. This continued for a while, until only Naruto was left. Shisui's eyes gazed at him longer than any of the others, making the boy tense.

Naruto stood up. Shisui smiled and motioned for him to speak.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like Ichiraku Ramen. I dislike..." Naruto trailed off for a moment, wondering what exactly did he dislike. He hadn't thought much about it himself. His eyes wandered from side to side, before he remembered the girls who were picking on Hinata. Bullies. He hated bullies. "People who pick on others. My goal for the future...is to become Hokage." Becoming the Hokage was a fairly common goal among the students in the class during their introductions, so that's what Naruto had decided to go with.

"Thank you, Naruto-san." Shisui said. Rubbing his hands together, he took a deep breath. Naruto sat down.

"Now that we all know each other, lets begin the actual class." Shisui said. Naruto noticed that his eyes flashed red for a moment, but didn't think much of it.

Then the classroom vanished.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Sweat dribbled down the side of Obito's face as he knocked on the door in front of him.

"Enter."

Inside the room, Madara sat with his back to Obito, facing the fire. At the sound of Obito's muffled footsteps, Madara closed his eyes, making the fire go out. "The Uchiha clan are planning to rebel." he said, without turning around to face Obito.

Obito ran a hand through his hair, not sure of what to say. "Yes-" he began, but Madara put up his hand to silence him.

"We've known this for a long time, yes."

Obito nodded, a stray drop of sweat falling onto the ground. Madara turned around right then, so fast that Obito could only blink in surprise. The old man stared at him with eyes that no longer existed- two empty holes. _Can he even see me?_ Something about Madara's appearance had always unsettled Obito.

"I'd always known this would happen. I realized it the moment I had left- no, abandoned -Konoha. I knew that Tobirama would not rest until he had the Uchiha under his foot. And Hashirama...he was just a misguided fool. Strong, powerful- sure. But he never looked at the big picture- at the future. And that was his downfall." Madara coughed, and Obito moved as if to comfort him, but he was again stopped by Madara's hand. "But they...the clan shunned me. I told them this would happen, I told them...and now look what the clan has come to. Once, we Uchiha stood tall as kings." Madara spat a glob of phlegm at the ground. Obito noticed it was red. "And now..." And then Obito heard a deep growl and the ground rumbled. It took him a moment to realize that Madara was laughing.

"Are you proposing that we should do something, Madara-sama? Because-" Madara stopped laughing. There was a momentary silence.

Suddenly Obito had problems breathing. He clutched at his throat, eyes widening.

"Never interrupt me, boy." said Madara, something about the low intensity of his voice making Obito even more unsettled than he already was._ Madara never acted like this_.

Obito could only nod frantically, and suddenly the pressure on his throat was released. He coughed.

Looking away from Obito and into the fireplace, Madara spoke. "Perhaps...it's time that Konoha remembers me once again."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"It's a shame that you've allowed this to continue this further, Hokage-sama. And how much can you trust this boy anyway? He's one of them, isn't he? This is no time for half-measures, Hokage-sama. In a time like this, this farce cannot be allowed to grow further. The solution is obvious." Orochimaru's yellow eyes glinted in the darkness. A boy wearing the standard ANBU uniform complete with arm guards, a flak jacket, and a porcelain mask which was fashioned to resemble a weasel with a dark, triangular marking on top kneeled at the Hokage's foot, who was sitting beside Orochimaru with a contemplative look on his face.

"I agree with you, Orochimaru. This is no time for half-measures. Not at all. But I need two days to put the plan I have in mind in motion." the Sandaime turned to Itachi, motioning him to stand. "Two days, Itachi. When are the Uchiha planning to put _their_ plan in motion?"

Orochimaru turned his eyes to Itachi, who was removing his mask. The boy had always been inscrutable to him, which was something that unsettled him. And the Sandaime had a plan? That was something he had not expected.

"Their plan too, begins after two days. I can try to delay it, but my father is already suspicious of me. I do not think I will succeed in delaying if you want me to, Hokage-sama." There must be _something_ in the boy's eyes, Orochimaru thought. Something that can tell me..._What is he thinking_?

Perhaps something in his voice. There_ must_ be something.

"I see. Two days. I assume the operation begins at night?" the Sandaime inquired, and Itachi nodded. "Fine. That gives me enough time. Thank you for all you've done, Itachi. I believe today was your brothers first day at the Academy, right?" he said.

Instantly, something in Itachi's eyes changed at the mention of his brother. His eyes grew gentler, softer.

_Yes_! Orochimaru resisted the urge to exclaim out loud.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Itachi said, his voice still unchanged. But Orochimaru had noticed the eyes, and that was all he needed. A small smile wormed its way onto his face.

"Ah, then I'm keeping you from him. You may go now, Itachi." the Sandaime said, making motions of dismissal.

"I'll take my leave as well, Hokage-sama." said Orochimaru.

_Sasuke Uchiha, wasn't it? _The small smile transformed into a wide grin as Orochimaru left the Hokage tower.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Naruto panicked.

_Darkness._

And then, a chair appeared out of nowhere, materializing right in front of him. Naruto blinked, and the classroom was back again. Except this time, it was empty. Naruto 's eyes wandered from left to right, trying to make sense of what was happening in increasing panic, before Shisui appeared in front of him.

"You are now trapped in a Genjutsu." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Now now, don't panic. The whole class is. They're all trapped in their own version of this genjutsu. You see, this technique, while a bit low-leveled, is quite different from the usual. For the next," Shisui paused and looked at his watch. "Forty minutes, you are trapped here. Your goal is to simply find a way to dispel the jutsu. If, after forty minutes, you cannot, the genjutsu will dispel itself automatically. Your time starts...now."

"Wait-" Naruto managed to blurt before Shisui dissappeared. One by one, the chairs and tables too, began to dissappear, until soon he was left by himself in pitch-black darkness. Again.

_Shit._

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

* * *

**Author's Notes:** A really short chapter that sets up a few things for the next. Stay tuned!

Have questions? Don't hesitate to send a PM or leave them in a review! In any case, reviews are appreciated (whether they be simply a gesture of appreciation or a bit of constructive criticism) as they are very helpful for motivation.

*Madara rambles a bit here because he's old. Really old.

Adios!


	9. Fated Meetings

**Unmasked**

* * *

. . .

_"No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.__"_

-Voltaire_  
_

. . .

* * *

**Previously:**

"You are now trapped in a Genjutsu." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Now now, don't panic. The whole class is. They're all trapped in their own version of this genjutsu. You see, this technique, while a bit low-leveled, is quite different from the usual. For the next," Shisui paused and looked at his watch. "Forty minutes, you are trapped here. Your goal is to simply find a way to dispel the jutsu. If, after forty minutes, you cannot, the genjutsu will dispel itself automatically. Your time starts...now."

"Wait-" Naruto managed to blurt before Shisui dissappeared. One by one, the chairs and tables too, began to dissappear, until soon he was left by himself in pitch-black darkness. Again.

_Shit._

* * *

Chapter Nine

**Fated Meetings**

* * *

Sasuke opened his eyes and blinked twice, adjusting to the light. He looked around to see all of his classmates frozen in their seats. He smiled inwardly. _I was first._

"It seems you were the first to break the genjutsu, Sasuke." Sasuke looked up to see Shisui's figure looming over his desk. A small smile made its way onto Sasuke's face. As if on cue, Shisui smiled too, this time from eye to eye. "The first to _break_ the genjutsu. Two people never got caught in the first place." Sasuke's smile turned downwards into a frown.

"Hn." Sasuke sulked as Shisui ruffled his hair and laughed at the boy's childishness. "We have to wait for the others to break the genjutsu before continuing the class, however. You can join the other two people in the Academy grounds, I will call you when the class will resume again."

Sasuke nodded and was about to leave when another boy sitting behind him blinked his eyes open.

"Ah, Shikamaru-san!" he heard Shisui-sensei exclaim before he tuned his teacher out and took care of his belongings. _I was third._

_At least I was faster than that Nara_, he assured himself. _That must count for something_.

Shaking his head, he made for the door.

Of course he knew it didn't matter. _I must be first in everything_. His hand clenched into a fist as he thought, _I must be better than Itachi_.

And then suddenly, he began having problems breathing. There was a presence in the air. Something sinister. Malevolent. The room was turning colder as each second passed, the smell of sulfur filling the air. Eyes wide, he turned towards where he felt the sinister chakra was coming from.

It was coming from the blonde boy who was sitting beside the Nara…_what the hell?_ The killing intent was too much for him- panicking, he scrabbled sideways as if to move away from the source. Clutching a desk to steady himself, he blinked.

The sound of shattering glass filled his ears, and the pressure on him suddenly eased. He saw a shadow move across him, heard a whisper in his ear: "Class is over. Go home."

Shaking his head, he looked for the boy who was nowhere to be found. _Shisui took him then. But…what was that?_

He looked up to see the Nara staring at him. "Troublesome." he mouthed and put his head on his desk.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

After what seemed like an eternity, Naruto heard the sound of dripping water. He opened his eyes slowly.

_Where am I?_ He wondered, taking in the view around him. Water sloshed around his feet as he began to stand up, taking support from the wall beside him. Pipes that continuously dripped water were attached to the ceiling directly overhead. Naruto blinked, trying his best to piece together what had happened. The last thing he remembered was seeing a red light coming from his stomach when Shisui had left him in the darkness.

_Maybe this is all a part of the genjutsu_, he thought, running a hand through his damp hair. He moved his hand to feel the wall.

_But...everything feels so real. _

And wet. Naruto began walking slowly towards the dim, red light emanating from the end of the path. After what may have been hours, he stopped. Ahead of him, heavy gates loomed in the darkness.

'...**closer**...' A disembodied voice hissed in Naruto's ears, making him jump. He could now see pure, red chakra circling around the gates, hissing and crackling like a living flame. Two red, slit eyes slowly became visible in the darkness behind the gates.

'...**come closer**...' The monster opened its fanged jaws in a gaping grin. Naruto took a step back, shaking his head. This is not real- he muttered to himself. But he was drawn to the gates even as he tried to back off, like a moth to a flame. The monster's claws clanged against the gates, its set of fangs opening further and further as Naruto came closer.

Naruto hesitated as he stood in front of the gates. His hands were shaking uncontrollably, his face was pale and he was drenched in sweat. He opened his mouth to ask the creature what it was, but all that came out was a feeble- "W-what.."- in response, the creature itself moved closer to the gates, to finally reveal itself to Naruto.** '...so we finally meet, boy...'**

A cold breeze fluttered through the sewer.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

_Where is he?_ Sasuke wondered as he stood beneath the shade of a large tree in training ground #11. Itachi had told him to wait here after his day at the academy ended, because he needed to talk about something very important. Sasuke had been waiting eagerly for about an hour now, in part because he had hoped that Itachi would help him make sense of what happened during Shisui's lesson which had cut short their first day at the academy. A small part of him also wanted to reconnect with his brother, who had been distant for some months now.

A very small part, he assured himself.

He heard heavy footfalls approach him, and thinking it was Itachi who had finally come, he smiled and began to speak quickly, "What took you so long? I've been waiting-" he cut himself off abruptly as the visage of the person came into view. It was of course, not his brother as he had expected, but someone else entirely. It was a tall man with extremely pale skin and waist-length black hair. He had a long face with pronounced cheekbones, amber eyes with slits in his pupils and purple markings around his eyes. The face of the man seemed familiar, but Sasuke could not quite place where he'd seen him.

"Sorry," Sasuke muttered. "I mistook you for someone else."

The man smiled. "It's quite alright, boy," he said, waving his hand. "What concerns me more is you standing in the training ground that is explicitly reserved for ANBU ninjas only, without permission. Who is it that you're waiting for, exactly?"

"Oh- I'm sorry! I didn't know that. My brother told me to come here and wait for him," Sasuke paused for a moment and then added, "But I don't think he's coming anymore..."

"And who is this brother of yours? Perhaps I might know of him." The smile was still on the man's face, but it seemed fake, even to Sasuke.

"Itachi. Uchiha Itachi." Sasuke said.

The man laughed. It was a crazy, manic laugh, making Sasuke take a step back. "What's so funny? And who are you anyway?" he asked, feeling annoyed that someone was laughing at the mention of his brother.

After a while, the man stopped. "Ah, I apologize. It's just that I was with him but a moment ago. I'm quite sure he isn't coming for you then, seeing as he got an important mission."

"Oh..."

"As to your second question," The man straightened up, his yellow eyes shining with enthusiasm. "I'm Orochimaru. You may know of me."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

**Author's Notes:**

Small chapter. Well, a really small chapter. But I couldn't help myself- it's been two months since I last updated, and a short update is better than none, right?


End file.
